North America, 2047. For the small Pacific Coast community of San Onofre, life in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack is a matter of survival, a day-to-day struggle to stay alive. But young Hank Fletcher dreams of the world that might have been, that might yet be - and dreams of playing a crucial role in America's rebirth.

3 out of 5 stars

a child story

By
enya keshet
on
10-20-18

Red Mars

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Richard Ferrone

Length: 23 hrs and 51 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
3,630

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
2,830

Story

4 out of 5 stars
2,850

Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel,
Red Mars is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson's best-selling trilogy.
Red Mars is praised by scientists for its detailed visions of future technology. It is also hailed by authors and critics for its vivid characters and dramatic conflicts.

For centuries, the red planet has enticed the people of Earth. Now an international group of scientists has colonized Mars. Leaving Earth forever, these 100 people have traveled nine months to reach their new home. This is the remarkable story of the world they create - and the hidden power struggles of those who want to control it.

4 out of 5 stars

The first Mars colony

By
David
on
05-17-14

New York 2140

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Suzanne Toren,
Robin Miles,
Peter Ganim,
and others

Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
1,546

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,420

Story

4 out of 5 stars
1,424

The waters rose, submerging New York City. But the residents adapted, and it remained the bustling, vibrant metropolis it had always been. Though changed forever. Every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. Through the eyes of the varied inhabitants of one building, Kim Stanley Robinson shows us how one of our great cities will change with the rising tides. And how we, too, will change.

5 out of 5 stars

Complex, believable, nuanced, riveting

By
Lois
on
04-07-17

Shaman

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Graeme Malcolm

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
318

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
298

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
298

There is Thorn, a shaman himself. He lives to pass down his wisdom and his stories - to teach those who would follow in his footsteps. There is Heather, the healer who, in many ways, holds the clan together. There is Elga, an outsider and the bringer of change. And then there is Loon, the next shaman, who is determined to find his own path. But in a world so treacherous, that journey is never simple - and where it may lead is never certain.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

By
David
on
03-17-15

Forty Signs of Rain

Science in the Capital, Book 1

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Peter Ganim,
Kim Stanley Robinson

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3.5 out of 5 stars
183

Performance

3.5 out of 5 stars
131

Story

4 out of 5 stars
131

The best-selling author of the classic Mars trilogy and
The Years of Rice and Salt returns with a riveting new trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in our nation's capital - and in the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly realistic, here is a novel of the near future that is inspired by scientific facts already making headlines.
BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by author Kim Stanley Robinson.

2 out of 5 stars

Its all

By
steve
on
01-07-09

Aurora

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Ali Ahn

Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
2,621

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
2,422

Story

4 out of 5 stars
2,419

A major new novel from one of science fiction's most powerful voices,
Aurora tells the incredible story of our first voyage beyond the solar system. Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers.

5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

By
ewreirct
on
07-14-15

The Wild Shore

The Three Californias Triptych, Book 1

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
92

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

Story

4 out of 5 stars
81

North America, 2047. For the small Pacific Coast community of San Onofre, life in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack is a matter of survival, a day-to-day struggle to stay alive. But young Hank Fletcher dreams of the world that might have been, that might yet be - and dreams of playing a crucial role in America's rebirth.

3 out of 5 stars

a child story

By
enya keshet
on
10-20-18

Red Mars

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Richard Ferrone

Length: 23 hrs and 51 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
3,630

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
2,830

Story

4 out of 5 stars
2,850

Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel,
Red Mars is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson's best-selling trilogy.
Red Mars is praised by scientists for its detailed visions of future technology. It is also hailed by authors and critics for its vivid characters and dramatic conflicts.

For centuries, the red planet has enticed the people of Earth. Now an international group of scientists has colonized Mars. Leaving Earth forever, these 100 people have traveled nine months to reach their new home. This is the remarkable story of the world they create - and the hidden power struggles of those who want to control it.

4 out of 5 stars

The first Mars colony

By
David
on
05-17-14

New York 2140

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Suzanne Toren,
Robin Miles,
Peter Ganim,
and others

Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
1,546

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,420

Story

4 out of 5 stars
1,424

The waters rose, submerging New York City. But the residents adapted, and it remained the bustling, vibrant metropolis it had always been. Though changed forever. Every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. Through the eyes of the varied inhabitants of one building, Kim Stanley Robinson shows us how one of our great cities will change with the rising tides. And how we, too, will change.

5 out of 5 stars

Complex, believable, nuanced, riveting

By
Lois
on
04-07-17

Shaman

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Graeme Malcolm

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
318

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
298

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
298

There is Thorn, a shaman himself. He lives to pass down his wisdom and his stories - to teach those who would follow in his footsteps. There is Heather, the healer who, in many ways, holds the clan together. There is Elga, an outsider and the bringer of change. And then there is Loon, the next shaman, who is determined to find his own path. But in a world so treacherous, that journey is never simple - and where it may lead is never certain.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

By
David
on
03-17-15

Forty Signs of Rain

Science in the Capital, Book 1

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Peter Ganim,
Kim Stanley Robinson

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3.5 out of 5 stars
183

Performance

3.5 out of 5 stars
131

Story

4 out of 5 stars
131

The best-selling author of the classic Mars trilogy and
The Years of Rice and Salt returns with a riveting new trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in our nation's capital - and in the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly realistic, here is a novel of the near future that is inspired by scientific facts already making headlines.
BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by author Kim Stanley Robinson.

2 out of 5 stars

Its all

By
steve
on
01-07-09

Aurora

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Ali Ahn

Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
2,621

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
2,422

Story

4 out of 5 stars
2,419

A major new novel from one of science fiction's most powerful voices,
Aurora tells the incredible story of our first voyage beyond the solar system. Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers.

5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

By
ewreirct
on
07-14-15

Galileo’s Dream

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
George Guidall

Length: 20 hrs and 26 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
186

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
111

Story

4 out of 5 stars
109

With
Galileo’s Dream, Kim Stanley Robinson crafts an instant masterpiece that blends epic adventure and thoughtful alternate history. Ganymede, a rebellious Jovian, attempts to bring famed scientific mind Galileo forward in time to alter the course of history with astonishing results.

4 out of 5 stars

Historical Novel?

By
David
on
04-05-10

The Years of Rice and Salt

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Bronson Pinchot

Length: 25 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
663

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
611

Story

4 out of 5 stars
611

It is the 14th century, and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur - the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been - a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation.

4 out of 5 stars

Alternate History as Philosophical Vehicle

By
Mark Patterson
on
08-22-15

2312

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 19 hrs and 11 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3.5 out of 5 stars
781

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
706

Story

3.5 out of 5 stars
717

The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity's only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future. The first event takes place on Mercury, on the city of Terminator, itself a miracle of engineering on an unprecedented scale. It is an unexpected death, but one that might have been foreseen....

From the acclaimed author of Stories of Your Life and Others - the basis for the Academy Award-nominated film Arrival: a groundbreaking new collection of short fiction. In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.

5 out of 5 stars

Masterful and singular

By
Brian
on
05-15-19

Parable of the Sower

By:
Octavia E. Butler

Narrated by:
Lynne Thigpen

Length: 12 hrs

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,924

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,607

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,600

God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs - and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars.

4 out of 5 stars

Better than Mark

By
Noah Paul
on
11-05-09

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

A Novel

By:
Neal Stephenson

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 31 hrs and 48 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
2,610

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,422

Story

4 out of 5 stars
2,418

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell is pure, unadulterated fun: a grand drama of analog and digital, man and machine, angels and demons, gods and followers, the finite and the eternal. In this exhilarating epic, Neal Stephenson raises profound existential questions and touches on the revolutionary breakthroughs that are transforming our future. Combining the technological, philosophical, and spiritual in one grand myth, he delivers a mind-blowing speculative literary saga for the modern age.

2 out of 5 stars

Tedious & Mannered 2nd Half

By
Barry McWilliams
on
06-24-19

The Dispossessed

A Novel

By:
Ursula K. Le Guin

Narrated by:
Don Leslie

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,188

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,970

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,980

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.

5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite novels of all time

By
Isaac
on
10-09-10

Icehenge

By:
Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by:
Danny Campbell,
Kevin T. Collins,
Carla Mercer-Meyer

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
111

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
104

Story

4 out of 5 stars
104

On the North Pole of Pluto there stands an enigma: a huge circle of standing blocks of ice, built on the pattern of Earth's Stonehenge - but 10 times the size, standing alone at the farthest reaches of the Solar System. What is it? Who came there to build it? The secret lies, perhaps, in the chaotic decades of the Martian Revolution, in the lost memories of those who have lived for centuries.

4 out of 5 stars

Great characters, don’t look for closure

By
Ivan the Reviewer
on
04-03-18

Semiosis

A Novel

By:
Sue Burke

Narrated by:
Caitlin Davies,
Daniel Thomas May

Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
941

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
887

Story

4 out of 5 stars
888

Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape - trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.

4 out of 5 stars

Weird. But good. But weird.

By
Lilyn G.
on
03-20-18

The Fifth Sacred Thing

By:
Starhawk

Narrated by:
Maya Lilly

Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
511

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
477

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

The year is 2048. Climate change and bio-warfare have ravaged much of the Earth, and societal meltdown has splintered the US into fragments. But out of the ruins, Northern California has built a thriving culture based on respect for the four sacred things: air, fire, water and earth.

5 out of 5 stars

Stunningly beautiful and rich with optimism!

By
Tim Cyr
on
10-14-16

Four Futures

Life After Capitalism

By:
Peter Frase

Narrated by:
Bob Souer

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
116

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
101

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
95

Peter Frase argues that increasing automation and a growing scarcity of resources, thanks to climate change, will bring it all tumbling down. In
Four Futures, Frase imagines how this postcapitalist world might look, deploying the tools of both social science and speculative fiction to explore what communism, rentism, socialism, and exterminism might actually entail.

5 out of 5 stars

A great read for futurists

By
Anonymous User
on
06-23-17

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers, Book 1

By:
Becky Chambers

Narrated by:
Rachel Dulude

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
233

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
211

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
212

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space - and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe - in this lighthearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

5 out of 5 stars

The best Audiobook I’ve ever heard

By
Max
on
08-10-19

Publisher's Summary

North America, 2065. In a world that has rediscovered harmony with nature, the village of El Modena, California, is an ecotopia in the making. Kevin Claiborne, a young builder who has grown up in this "green" world, now finds himself caught up in the struggle to preserve his community's idyllic way of life from the resurgent forces of greed and exploitation.

The final volume in Kim Stanley Robinson's Three Californias triptych, Pacific Edge is a brilliant work of science fiction and an outstanding literary achievement.

Story

No escapism here

Because this book is set only 50 years in the future (2065), it doesn't offer a strong feeling of escape and otherworldliness, as science fiction might. Rather, we are trapped in a realistic near future in which the effects of climate change are starting to be felt, and the lines between governments and corporations are blurred. So it's not a particularly easy listen, nor is it particularly up-lifting.

There was one aspect to the story that I found fascinating, however, and that was the discussion of "green" architecture--how architecture had to change because of the warming climate. One of the main characters is an architect, and there's much discussion of the mechanics of tearing down 20th-Century buildings and re-making them.

As to the narrator, I sometimes had a hard time telling the different characters apart. It was also hard to tell when the point of view shifted between different characters, so perhaps this book would be more easily digested in print.

best in series

for me this was by far the best of the three californias books. the story was very thoughtful, well developed, provocative. i personally identified with kevin, the protagonist, although he is straight and white, unlike me. i wonder if this was the narrator's favorite, too, since the narration was far superior to the other books in the series.

good, but be aware: NOT a trilogy

Good enough as a free standing novel, as long as you don't expect a chronological trilogy. I like post-apocalyptic pulp , so I loved the first novel. But this book is set in a semi-utopia, that's just not my thing...